


You're Allowed To Hurt

by leatherandlace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Protective Baby Henry Feels, Regal Believer, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 11:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4744847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leatherandlace/pseuds/leatherandlace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina thinks she needs to be strong for Henry, but her Little Prince is there for her when she needs it. Regal Believer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Allowed To Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> I was at some family event, and instead of praising Donald Trump with the rest of my white trash family, I wrote this. Whoops.
> 
> I feel like there should be a lot of Regal Believer bonding over the loss of Emma this season, and I wanted to write my own rendition. There might be more after this, I don't know.
> 
> My apologies for any errors!
> 
> Follow my Tumblr: reginaswifesaywhat

**You’re Allowed To Hurt**

 

Henry had been watching Regina through the crack in the door for about five minutes now. 

 

 

It would normally be weird, but he was really concerned for his mom. She had been reading the same book (he thinks it was Elvish?) about Dark Ones for hours. He was going to ask her to go to Granny's with him, but when he saw her concentration he didn't want to interrupt her. She looked like she was on the edge of finding something. 

 

 

But just when he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a huge slam. He whipped back around, seeing the book fall to the floor as his mom gave a frustrated huff. 

 

 

"Another god damned dead end." She muttered under her breath, leaning back in her chair. She put her head in her hands, brushing the hair out of her face and letting out a deep breath. 

 

 

And then she started to cry. 

 

 

 _Crap,_ Henry thought, watching her shoulders shake. Regina would be furious if he knew she was watching her, especially when she was in this vulnerable position. She may think he was still her little boy, but he understood his mom more than she knew. 

 

 

He turned around to leave again, but the floorboard creaked under his foot. 

 

 

Regina looked up, her face red and tears streaking down her face. "Hello?" She croaked.

 

 

Henry knew he was caught, so he opened the door more. "Hey, Mom...sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." He watched her give him a watery smile, trying to wipe her tears away. "Mom, are you alright?"

 

 

They both knew she wasn't, but Regina, being her typical self, put on a brave face, "Quite. How are you holding up, dear?"

 

 

Henry walked into the study and closed the door behind him, walking up to the table she was sitting at. He pulled a chair up next to her, reaching to hold her hands in his. 

 

 

"Mom, you don't have to be strong right now. You're allowed to hurt." Henry said.

 

 

 Henry couldn't remember a time when she let herself actually _feel_ in front of anyone. She practically hadn't left the house for weeks. Regina had dedicated every waking moment working to find Emma. 

 

 

She'd torn apart her vault, reading and re-read every book that lined the tall walls like bricks. She translated every scroll, practiced every spell, studied every map. She even brought a spell book to Rumple's hospital bed, waiting for him to wake up so she could interrogate him furiously. 

 

 

And throughout all this, she never let herself cry in front of Henry. She kissed him on the forehead and asked him if he was alright and if there was anything she could do, but he knew she was doing all of this just to busy herself. 

 

 

If she let her mind wander, all there was left was a gaping hole where Emma used to be. 

 

 

"Oh, Henry, don't worry about me." She whispered, stroking his cheek. 

 

 

He shook his head, "But I _am_ worrying about you, Mom. You're breaking down, and you won't let anyone help." 

 

 

"I need to be doing what I'm doing." Her voice cracked, and swallowed down the tears that were threatening to spill, "Emma needs me." She covered her eyes with her hands.

 

 

"Ma needs you, but she also needs you to let yourself breathe." Henry took his hands away from her face. "You know Ma, she's always yelling at you for pushing yourself too far. Do you think she'd like it if you were doing this to yourself?"

 

 

Regina shook her head, "No. She'd probably slam my books shut and tell me to 'stop being a nerd, Madame Mayor'. She'd put a root beer on my desk," Regina finally started to cry, leaning into Henry's shoulder, "She'd invite herself over for dinner, and we'd talk and laugh and," she let out a sob, "and _God_ I miss her."

 

 

Regina cried into Henry's shoulder, Henry smoothing her hair down and staring to cry himself. "We'll get her back, Mom. We'll do it together."

 

 

"I hope so, my little prince," She let out a shuddering breath, "I hope so."

 


End file.
